COURSE CURRICULUM

The taught stage of the MA English programme is designed to provide students with advanced knowledge of English language and literature while developing strong research, analytical, and professional skills. The core curriculum consists of 60 credits and begins with Researching English, a module that explores key theories, concepts, and methodologies across both language and literary studies. Students gain experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, academic practice, and the analysis of archival and digital texts, building the foundations necessary for independent scholarly investigation. The Applying English module focuses on the practical relevance of English studies in contemporary society, examining areas such as English in education, bibliotherapy, literacy development, linguistics for social justice, policy and innovation, research dissemination, networking, and grant-writing. These modules equip students with valuable transferable skills applicable in academic, professional, and public-facing environments. To personalise their studies, students select four optional modules from a diverse range of specialist subjects. Analysing Discourse introduces linguistic, stylistic, and narratological approaches to discourse analysis, while Reading the Nineteenth Century: Globalisation and the Novel examines the development of the novel within global literary traditions. Variation and Change in English explores sociolinguistic influences on language diversity and evolution, whereas Cognitive Poetics combines stylistics and cognitive linguistics to investigate literary interpretation and reader engagement. Language and Literature in Education critically examines the role of English within secondary education and policy debates, while Reading Contemporary Fiction focuses on modern literary forms, genres, and reading practices. Reading and Wellbeing investigates the relationship between literature, health, wellbeing, and bibliotherapy, and Corpus Linguistics develops advanced digital research skills through the analysis of large linguistic datasets. Together, these modules create a flexible and intellectually stimulating curriculum that enables students to pursue individual interests while enhancing critical thinking, research expertise, digital literacy, and communication abilities. The programme prepares graduates for careers in education, publishing, media, communications, cultural industries, research, and further postgraduate study.